False Accusations

O`Malley & Gratteau of the INC. column owe the O`Hare custodial staff an apology for their false accusations of April 18. This rebuttal is intended to preserve the integrity of those hardworking, dedicated and honest employees at O`Hare who were overlooked by the ABC report and in turn by your columnists. Being charged with thievery and absenteeism surely entitles us to a day in court. However, justice seems to end at the borders of your column.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani police have registered a case of blasphemy against 68 lawyers who made a public protest after a police officer detained one of their colleagues, officials said on Tuesday, the latest in a tidal wave of such accusations flooding the country. Analysts say the surge in accusations is a worrying sign the nuclear-armed nation of 180 million people is becoming less tolerant as militant ideas enter mainstream politics. The colonial-era...

TOLUCA, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday sharply criticized the Venezuelan government for arresting protesters and urged the government to focus on the "legitimate grievances" of its people. At a news conference concluding a North American summit, Obama did not mince words in reacting to Venezuela's expulsion this week of three U.S. diplomats accused of recruiting students to lead protests in Caracas. Instead of "making up false accusations"...

TOLUCA, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday sharply criticized the Venezuelan government for arresting protesters and urged the government to focus on the "legitimate grievances" of its people. At a news conference concluding a North American summit, Obama did not mince words in reacting to Venezuela's expulsion this week of three U.S. diplomats accused of recruiting students to lead protests in Caracas. Instead of "making up false accusations"...

We hear from Beth Vargo, executive director of Believe the Children, that there are 2.7 million cases of child abuse and neglect cases reported in the United States each year (Voice, April 9). She fails to report that of this number, only one-third were confirmed. Investor's Business Daily has reported that of the 3 million claims of child abuse that are filed each year, one-third turn out to be false. The source of this information was the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

I probably deserve a big moutza from readers for not telling you about my Russia plans for this coming week. Soon I'll be leaving soon for the Sochi Olympics and plan on subsisting on a diet of pickled garlic and vodka through the coming days. But right now, let's focus on the big event: the Moutza of the Month for January. "I gotta go with that chumbolone, Chris Christie," said Mike Zywanski, on Facebook, referring to the Republican governor of New Jersey. "What...

By Steve Schmadeke and Liam Ford and Tribune reporters | January 17, 2014

A Chicago police officer was in jail Friday night, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl who is a member of his extended family, authorities said. Daniel Aguilera, 57, who records show is a 22-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 in a hearing earlier Friday before Cook County Criminal Court Judge Israel Desierto. Aguilera is charged with sexual assault and sexual abuse. Aguilera is accused of sexually assaulting...

By Steve Schmadeke and Liam Ford and Tribune reporters | January 17, 2014

A Chicago police officer was in jail Friday night, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl who is a member of his extended family, authorities said. Daniel Aguilera, 57, who records show is a 22-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 in a hearing earlier Friday before Cook County Criminal Court Judge Israel Desierto. Aguilera is charged with sexual assault and sexual abuse. Aguilera is accused of sexually assaulting...

Village officials are developing the wallet weapon, a new device that should make anybody think twice about falsely accusing the police of harassment. In an effort to stop anyone from fabricating complaints against police, village trustees are creating a new policy that would take the perpetrator to court and make the person pay for the internal investigation. In particular, officials discussing the proposal Monday were taking aim against what local police departments believe is...

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek shipowner Victor Restis was arrested on charges of money laundering and embezzlement on Tuesday, becoming one of just a few prominent businessmen to be detained by police since Greece sank into crisis. Restis, who has a stake in Greece's top-selling newspaper and other media as well as his shipping fleet, is being investigated over bad loans of up to 500 million euros ($660 million) at FBBank, a troubled lender that was wound down this year,...

The Sports Xchange NFLPA's Smith pleased with bounty ruling NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith applauded the recent decision to throw out the suspensions for the players involved in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, according to ESPN.com. In a letter sent to players Sunday morning, Smith credited the strength of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement for the ruling. "Our CBA provides careful checks and balances to ensure that player rights...

The woman who falsely accused linebacker Brian Banks of rape in 2002 reportedly must pay $2.6 million in damages to the Long Beach Unified School District. Banks, then a football star at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School and given a scholarship to USC, spent five years in prison and five more on probation. Accuser Wanetta Gibson was awarded $1.5 million after suing the school district, citing an unsafe environment. Gibson admitted in 2012 that she lied about the...

Rod Blagojevich may have launched an aggressive media blitz for his new book this week, but it's Chicago-born actress Bonnie Hunt who gets credit for the sack. The comedian, whose program is known for its typically sunny tone, grilled the former governor on Friday's episode of "The Bonnie Hunt Show" as she urged him to stop blaming others for his impeachment and indictment. In arguably the toughest TV interview of his book tour, Hunt also asked why no one is...

The Sports Xchange Torii Hunter's son files suit against accusers Attorneys for Darius McClinton-Hunter, the son of Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against two girls and their families seeking up to $40 million in damages after the 17-year-old was accused of sexual assault last year. A girl, who alleged last May that McClinton-Hunter and three other boys from Prosper (Texas) High School forced her and another girl to have sex, recanted...

The Sports Xchange Torii Hunter's son files suit against accusers Attorneys for Darius McClinton-Hunter, the son of Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against two girls and their families seeking up to $40 million in damages after the 17-year-old was accused of sexual assault last year. A girl, who alleged last May that McClinton-Hunter and three other boys from Prosper (Texas) High School forced her and another girl to have sex, recanted...

A man freed after spending more than a decade wrongly imprisoned for murder has sued Aurora, alleging police manipulated evidence that resulted in his conviction. The federal civil suit was filed Tuesday in Chicago on behalf of Jonathan Grayson of Aurora, who was formerly known as Jonathan Moore. It names Aurora, along with eight police detectives involved in the investigation of the gang slaying for which Grayson was imprisoned. Grayson was released from prison last March after...

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's government began releasing dozens of political prisoners on Monday as Barack Obama arrived for the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the former dictatorship. Sixty-six prisoners were scheduled to be freed, two-thirds of them dissidents, according to prison officials and activists. They included prominent figures such as Myint Aye, a senior Prison Department official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. ...

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's government began releasing dozens of political prisoners on Monday as Barack Obama arrived for the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the former dictatorship. Sixty-six prisoners were scheduled to be freed, two-thirds of them dissidents, according to prison officials and activists. They included prominent figures such as Myint Aye, a senior Prison Department official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. ...